Theresa May to raise US evidence leaks in Manchester bombing with Trump

Date of publication: 25 05 2017, 08:47

UK Prime Minister Theresa May will address repeated intelligence leaks by US media when she meets President Donald Trump on Thursday, British media have reported.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd was “irritated” by US media’s disclosure of the name of the attacker and other details of the Manchester bombing – before the police were ready to release them. A day later the New York Times published forensic photos from the site of the attack.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham tweeted late on Wednesday he had complained to the acting US ambassador about the leaks out of the United States. “Was assured they would stop. They haven’t. Arrogant, wrong & disrespectful,” he said.

Government officials told the Guardian newspaper May was planning to raise the issue of secure data sharing between US and UK intelligence communities at the NATO summit in Brussels where she will also call on NATO to join forces and step up action against terrorism.

The Times newspaper reported May would not stay for the full length of the follow-up G7 industrialized nations’ summit in Italy’s Sicily this Friday and Saturday, but will fly back late on Friday to address matters linked to Monday’s concert attack, which claimed 22 lives and raised terror threat level to critical.